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Question

Three masses each of mass m are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle ABC of side l as shown in the figure. The force acting on a mass 2m placed at the centroid O of the triangle is:
937486_dc246e921edb46a6aa9ebc2acde3d5af.png

A
zero
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B
3Gm2l2
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C
5Gm2l2
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D
7Gm2l2
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Solution

The correct option is A zero
Draw a perpendicular AD to the side BC.
AD=ABsin60=32l
Distance AO of the centroid O from A is 23AD.
AO=23(32l)=l3
By symmetry, AO=BO=CO=l3
Force on mass 2m at O due to mass m at A is
FOA=Gm(2m)(l/3)2=6Gm2l2 along OA
Force on mass 2m at O due to mass m at B is
FOB=Gm(2m)(l/3)2=6Gm2l2 along OB
Force on mass 2m at O due to mass m at C is
FOC=Gm(2m)(l/3)2=6Gm2l2 along OC
Draw a line PQ parallel to BC passing through O. Then BOP=30=COQ
Resolving ¯FOB and ¯FOC into two components.
Components acting along OP and OQ are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. So, they will cancel out while the components acting along OD will add up.
The resultant force on the mass 2m at O is
FR=FOA(FOBsin30+FOCsin30)
=6Gm2l2(6Gm2l2×12+6Gm2l2×12)=0
1032239_937486_ans_0d97de1ae1fa4caaaae463e376987a55.png

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